A Man Called Death
by Wind Alias
Summary: He learns from his mistakes: Never get involved with humans. But when the red string of fate ties several souls together, who is he to fight it? HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harvest Moon. But I do own several of the games and a wallpaper of Wizard! :D

**Author's Note:** Wow. It's like a dream come true - I've written for Wizard! It's been a long time coming, but I'm glad I finally did it. Let's just hope you guys like it as much as I do and that I keep it going.

**Important:** First time for writing for any of the Harvest Moon characters, so expect some OOC. I just really wanted to write Toby as being sort of childish, but then half-way in I realized that if I did so, it would have to be a one time thing. At the same time, I thought that he would actually act the way. Anyways, feel free to give me some pointers on how to get them in character.

Also, everything in this chapter will be explained over time...Don't fret.

**Warning:** This story probably - scratch that, will - have some SLASH, YAOI, BL, or whatever you want to call it in it! You have been warned.

**Also:** Is it just me, or can you guys totally see Gill and Toby as being friends?

**Enjoy!**

**xxoxxoxx**

**A Man Called Death**

**xxoxxoxx**

_Blood._

_It is everywhere. It splatters along the windows, cakes the walls in a morbid mural, seeping into the carpet with a hiss._

_"Adeline!"_

_The shout is torn from his lips. Blindly, he grasps at everything, searching for her. The world is swirling around him like a burned soup, streaks of pepper and spice strewn through his vision that he can not dispel._

_Crash._

_The noise resounds from the next room and he runs towards it without hesitation. As he grabs the door handle, there is a white-hot sensation; his hand recoils, and it is only now that he realizes the house is on fire._

_Thick black smoke is curling underneath the door as intricate as snakes, pulsing embers weaving like glittering scales._

_His magic is weak. He cannot cast water over the door. But there is another shriek and he cannot ignore it any longer. He grips the knob and turns it, ignoring the stink and sizzle of burning flesh._

_He expects her to be lying on the floor, in a pool of her own blood. Instead, she is standing. The smell is hot and coppery, and there is liquid rust trickling down her chin, over her pink, smiling lips._

_She turns, body half facing him, directing the smile away from the heap of flesh at her feet to him._

_"Hey," she says gently. "I did it. Didn't I tell you I would? I win. I win, winwinwinwin_win_!"_

_Twisted laughter falls from her lips._

_He falls to his knees._

_Then everything is red, red red._

**xxoxxoxx**

He jerked awake.

His lungs constricted. Heaving desperately, fingers scrambling against the sheets, he threw the covers off of him, falling out of the bed. His legs shook, and it was with great difficulty that he made his way to his feet.

Swearing lightly under his breath, he stumbled around in the dark, fumbling for a candle. Finding none, he swore again. His legs felt like jelly underneath him, threatening to fall; sweat trickled down his forehead from exertion. A knot of cold lodged itself in his chest.

"Adeline," he whispered. The cold spot was seeping out, touching his arms and neck, numbing them. By the time it reached his legs, he was already on the floor, writhing and grabbing at nothing. His eyes flickered wildly, rolling back in his head.

"Adeline…"

Within the next few moments, the Wizard of Castanet was still.

**xxoxxoxx**

"_Ehh? Why're you laying on the ground, Mister Fortune Teller? Are you looking for dust bunnies?"_

"_Toby."_

"_I do that sometimes, too. Except I never find any. Y'know, it surprises people, but my house is actually really clean."_

"_Toby…"_

"_Ehhh? And now you're drooling? I only drool like that when I concentrate reaaal hard, and - __"_

" - _Toby, I think he's unconscious."_

"_Oh."_

The noises confused him. They floated through his mind loudly, fuzzy and just beyond recognition like they had been filtered through static. The lights in his head swirled with enthusiasm. His tongue felt like coals had been thrown on top of it and his mouth was stitched shut. A heavy wave of nausea exploded in the back of his throat, and with the last of his strength he rolled over and vomited onto the ground.

"_Hey, something's wrong with him! Toby, go get Jin! Hurry!"_

An earthquake exploded near his ear; he tried to pull away from it, to run, but his legs felt as if they were no longer attached to his body. The smell of bile burned his nostrils.

"_Where is he?"_

Shouting. Lots and lots of shouting. He winced, attempting to draw himself into a ball.

"Too loud," he murmured. The words ran raggedly over his burning lips. "Hurts…"

The only sound then was their thick, syrupy breathing. In and out. In and out.

"In and out…" he mumbled to himself.

Far above him, the tallest man ordered:

"Gill, Toby - Carry him to my office."

**xxoxxoxx**

"Sit up."

The wizard stirred, heavy eyes slowly blinking open. His hands clutched feebly at his sheets. He took a deep breath, expecting to smell the thick aroma of coffee and spice.

He got a noseful of pontata root instead.

He sat up quickly in alarm, only to sink against the pillow when another wave of nausea overtook him. Someone chuckled lightly, and it was after at least a minute of blinking that the white-and-black blob came together to form a man.

"Not so quickly. You're not quite recovered yet." the man said, pivoting himself in the swivel chair to give the wizard a good look at his face. It was sharp and angular with undeniably Asian features, but the small laughter lines at the corners of his mouth softened him.

"Doctor…" the wizard managed to say before coughing into his shoulder. The man nodded, seemingly pleased that he recognized him.

"Yes. I am Doctor Jin." he said, picking up his clipboard. "And you are my patient."

The wizard's shoulders tensed in alarm. Jin noticed and frowned.

"I assure you, after our talk, you will be ready to go home. But before that, I have a serious question for you. When was the last time you've eaten?"

The question caught him off guard. "The last time…?"

"Yes," the Doctor said curtly, placing his clipboard on his knee. "When Irene ran the tests on you, there seemed to be absolutely nothing even partially resembling nutrients in your body. My suspicions were confirmed when we ran a dehydration test. Your body looks as if it's running on nothing but dust and caffeine!"

_When was the last time…? _He thought over it, but, astonishingly, came up with nothing. He gave Jin a blank eyed stare. The Doctor's frown deepened and he opened his mouth, but shut it again after a moment of thought and scribbled on his pad instead.

"Go ahead and leave. I've authorized a prescription of high-nutrient containing supplements for you. It should be waiting on Irene's desk. Oh, and one more thing - go ahead and tell Toby he can go home now."

He said the last part with a small smile, but it just left Wizard confused. Try as he might, he couldn't recall someone named Toby. It certainly didn't help that he went out of his way to close himself off to the villagers.

'_It's for their own good,_' he reminded himself. _'I will not repeat my mistakes.'_

Looking back on that afternoon later, the Wizard would wonder if this silent reassurance would lead to his very undoing.

But not even an immortal could predict the forthcoming events.

In some ways, that terrible nightmare would be the first stepping stone to a time of untold opportunity.

Unbeknownst to him, the Wizard had uncaged the ravenous storm of Fate.

He could not stop it.

He could not even see it.

All he could do was sit and wait.

Lookout.

_The tiger is on the prowl._

**xxoxxoxx**

When Wizard stepped out of the Doctor's office he was temporarily blinded. He'd never seen something so…_sterile._ The walls of the clinic practically gave off their own light, they were so clean. The stark contrast to his own work place was so astounding that all he could bring himself to do was stand and blink.

"Ahh, I see. This must be your first visit to the clinic." Wizard turned. An old woman sat behind the desk, stern face wrinkled into a smile. She shared an uncanny resemblance to the Doctor, and when he approached her, he found she shared the same scent of menthol and honey as Jin did. "Your prescription is finished, as I'm sure Jin has already told you." She bent down, coming back up with three orange jars. "Here. Take two a day. If you start feeling ill, cease using them immediately and come straight back to the clinic." she placed the jars in a brown paper bag before handing them to him with a quick smile. "Please take care of yourself."

The words chased him out the door.

The November sky rumbled. Judging by the very pregnant looking clouds that were beginning to loom over the small town, it was going to rain soon.

'_No more stars,_' he thought with a touch of sadness.

"How ya feelin'?" Sitting on a bench outside the clinic was a young man. As soon as he laid eyes on him, the Wizard was reminded of a story Adeline had once told him, _The Sea Fox._

Immediately his heart hurt. He turned away from the young man, willing the thought from his head. _Not now. Not so soon._

The young man cocked his head at the Wizard, but said nothing else. The coffee colored man took the silence as his cue to leave.

He was surprised when, a few moments later, he realized the young man was walking beside him, whistling.

The wizard stopped in his tracks, eyeing the young man suspiciously. The tune on the fox's lips played out, and a smile that he had the feeling was perpetual was in its place.

"Here, let me carry these. I'm Toby, by the way." the youth added as he took the paper bag from Wizard's hands. He looked at him in confusion.

"You're sick. You shouldn't have to carry anything," he said by way of explanation. And when Wizard pointed his finger as if to say, _My house is just right there,_ Toby simply shrugged and smiled.

Wizard eyed the smiling teen once more before deciding to keep walking.

"It's gonna rain soon," Toby said, looking at the sky. "That's good." Wizard just nodded.

The rest of their short trip was traveled in silence, and it was with great relief that the wizard found himself at his door once again. He looked at Toby, who was, of course, still smiling. He wondered briefly if the youth was waiting to be invited inside.

Instead, Toby handed him the bag and brushed his hands against his shorts. "Nice seeing you again," he said, although Wizard knew that they had never met before, "Make sure you take care of yourself next time, eh? I can't be waiting outside for two days again, now can I? Next time, I might be the one to get sick!" he laughed lightly.

"You…waited?"

"Yup," Toby said, pocketing his hands. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

'_Why should it matter?' _he found himself thinking. _'Why should my welfare concern you?'_

He tried voicing his questions, but his discontinued contact with humans kept him from producing more than fragments. "Why…"

"Why was I at your house?" Toby said as he scratched his head, misunderstanding his question. "Well, the new girl, y'know, Hikari? Yeah, one of her animals got sick, but Horn Ranch wasn't open today, so me and Gill thought that maybe you had something that could help her. But, to be honest, no one in the village wanted to go into your house. They all think you're crazy." he added bluntly. "But I don't. Anyways, when me and Gill showed up, you were on the floor."

The Wizard gave a slow nod before touching the door knob. Toby understood what he wasn't saying and stepped away.

"Well, see ya then," he drawled breezily.

As he later found out, Toby's words were a promise.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Nope...not a thing. Sadness.

**Author's Notes:** First, let me say: I AM SO SORRY! I haven't updated in forever! My computer's been bogged down with viruses and trojans and everything that could possibly happen to a piece of outdated technolgy. So for this I apologize. :( I was also really busy for the past couple of weeks, but things have slowed down. Hopefully, that means regular updating.

About this chapter. I was in such a big rush to post it that I didn't get to review it as much as I would've liked. So if there're mistakes, please call me on them. I'll do my best to fix everything. Also, this chapter may be a little confusing, but I swear, everything that happens in this chapter happens for a reason, and will be cleared up in the next few updates. And if Wizard seems a little Bi-Polar, it's not just you. And if Toby seems sort of OOC or pushy, it's just because I need him to get the story moving.

**Also:** I love to hear from you guys! So if you have any ideas about directions and arcs this fic could take, feel free to message me or leave your idea in a review!

**Something I noticed: **WHY THE HELL DOESN'T WIZARD HAVE A FRIDGE IN HIS HOUSE? OR A LIGHTSWITCH?

**Warning: SLASH, BL, YAOI, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.**

**Enjoy!**

**xxoxxoxx**

**A Man Called Death**

**xxoxxoxx**

Unbeknownst to many, Toby was a _very_ curious person.

Now, not that he was nosy; after all, there were very few things Toby would go out of his way to accomplish.

But every now and then, something caught his eye and kept him hooked.

And of course, that something was Castanet's very own Fortuneteller.

"Hello? Toby? Helllooooo?" Molly called, waving a hand in front of his face. "Earth to Toby! I repeat, Earth to Toby!"

The fisherman blinked slowly as his mind ebbed back to the world of the living. "Hmm?"

"I was talking to you about the Moon Festival, remember?"

"Nope," he replied honestly. He yawned, leaning back as he dug his toes into the warm sand. "Why are we talking about the Moon Festival when we could be napping?"

"_Because_," she insisted, tugging sharply on her fishing line. She growled in frustration when a glob of algae surfaced. "Here, hand me that plastic bag. Your dad likes this stuff, right?" Toby nodded and watched as she slid the green matter into the bag, tying it off with a bow. He looked at her flexed biceps with a raised eyebrow. She caught him looking and rolled her eyes.

"Renee wants to go with you." Molly stated, crossing her arms. "It's all she talks about when I see her."

"…Is that so?" he said after a moment's hesitation. Molly smirked teasingly at the faint blush on his cheeks.

"Don't you wanna go with her? Y'know, get your smooch on?" she elbowed him in the side playfully, grinning wickedly when the flush on his face heightened. He laughed good-naturedly when she pantomimed him kissing Renee.

"I wouldn't mind going with her." he conceded. Molly's smile dimmed.

"Yeah…almost makes me wish I had someone to go with." she chuckled a little, but to Toby it sounded just a bit hollow.

He said nothing for awhile, watching the waves casually roll against the shore. He wiggled his toes a little when something solid _'thunked' _against his big toe. He sat up and dug his fingers into the wet earth.

"Hmm, I would ask Gill, but Candace told me Luna has had a crush on him since they were kids, so he's out…"

His fingers grazed something, and on closer inspection that something turned out to be a seashell. It's outside was brown and grainy, rough to the touch, and when he pressed against it too hard the thin, invisible spines on the shell actually cut him.

"There's Jin, but I've seen Anissa making eyes at him. And there's Luke and Bo, but I'm sure Luke went off to Fugue Forest again and hasn't been back since…and I'd go to jail if I went with Bo…Man, is there really no one I can go with?"

He recoiled, blankly regarding the line of blood that was beginning to appear. Carefully this time, he turned the shell over. The inside was the outside's polar opposite: It was a purple miasma, rippling violet and lavender and maroon. He rubbed his thumb against it, and it was silky smooth. At the base was a surprising smattering of red and black, like the shell had been burned.

Outside, Molly continued listing off bachelors.

Inside, the cogs of his mind began to turn.

"Hey, Molly. I think I know someone…"

**xxoxxoxx**

Maybe it was just him, but it seemed to Wizard that these pills didn't want taking.

He stared at them.

They stared at him.

He blinked.

They blinked.

…okay, so he was still skeptical about taking the medicine, but judging by that hallucination, he was starting to see he needed it.

After another moment he set the jar down for his cup. He sipped at his coffee, eyeing the brown liquid thoughtfully. Had he really been so careless as to take in nothing but coffee? He frowned and swished the beverage, watching as transparent puffs of steam flew up periodically. He set it down with a sigh and turned in his chair.

During his breif stay in the clinic the majority of the house had been cleaned up; namely, the vomit spots, although the rug that he had heaved on was still covered in discolored patches. At some point he had managed to knock over a spice braid, but someone had picked it up and laid it out on his desk. He ran a hand over it, tapping his fingers against the hard outer shell of the cacaos.

He looked back at the pills with a grimace. Wizard picked up one of the jars to read the label.

**FORTIFIED NUTRITION SUPPLEMENTS**

**Issued by: **_Doctor Jin_

**Serving Size: **_Two pills every four hours_

**Directions: Take two pills with a glass of water and a full stomach. Do not exceed the above serving size. If sickness or nausea begins, immediately discontinue use and see me.**

He was about to place the bottle inside his cupboard when some words at the bottom of the bottle caught his eye.

**Don't be an idiot. I will know if you take these, and if you don't, I will exercise force where needed.**

**Sincerely,**

_Doctor Jin._

Wizard found himself slightly amused at this. He wasn't used to people being so adamant about him.

He uncorked the bottle and gripped two pills with his finger tips. When he placed them in his palm for closer inspection, he found they were surprisingly heavy. He sniffed at them; no aroma. They were a dark brown, several shades darker than his skin. He looked at them for another moment before sliding them onto his desk. If he was going to take these, he was going to need food. Standing, he looked around at his house.

It was then that the Wizard realized something very important.

He didn't own a refrigerator.

_How…have I…? _

The discovery was mind-boggling. How had he been surviving all this time without a place to store food? His forehead wrinkled in confusion. He had to have been getting food all this time. Even immortals had to eat sometime.

_So then why…?_

For the second time in his life, the Wizard found himself without an answer.

"_You're a fool," she hissed, thin lips cracking into a wild, off kilter smile. "You think you can stop me?" she cackled as she straightened, kicking the lump of flesh at her feet under the table. "You're weak. Pathetic. How you survived this long is beyond me."_

_He clenched his fists. He struggled to bring the hum of magic in his veins to the surface, preparing to arm himself. When the faint silver glow began to radiate from his hands, she laughed again._

"_You are weak. You'll never be able to stop me." she said cockily, swaggering forward. "But I do like to tie up loose ends. So I'll kill you, and then I'll raze this town to the ground." she spat and summoned forth her energy. Flames the color of blood enveloped her body. "Do you really think you'll be able to defeat me?"_

_He shuddered._

_He didn't know._

_All he could do was dive headfirst into the flames._

Knock.

Knock.

The door handle turned, creaking open slowly as beads of light cut through Wizard's nightmare.

"Eh? It's dark." the intruder observed, closing the door behind themselves. He immediately recognized the slight drawl as Toby's. The young fisherman had changed into a slightly worn knit grey sweater and loose, dark denim. Wizard regarded the change with a raised eyebrow but said nothing. "Where's the lightswitch?"

Wizard handed him a candle.

Pale brows quirked. "Never knew you were Omish," the teen said with a smile that glittered with its own light. Wizard scowled.

"I'm…not Omish." he remarked as he handed Toby a match. He lit it with ease, and the spark of flame quickly engulfed the wick of the candle, letting off a globe of light and the smell of roses. The light was small and kept most of the house in darkness, something which Wizard rather preferred, but Toby began walking around, waving the candle around at areas of interest. The magician visibly winced when Toby nearly lit one of his spice braids on fire.

Twice.

"Oh, yeah." Toby stopped, turning to look back at him. "I brought something." He walked towards the door and picked up a brown sack. "Where's your fridge?"

Wizard put his palms to his forehead, feeling the slight warmth of embarassment beginning to rise to his cheeks. "I…don't have one."

An amused smile. "So you _are_ Omish."

"…"

"Kidding, kidding…" Toby chuckled lightly. "But how have you been able to live without a fridge? I mean, if you're pro-Natural Lifestyle, that's cool," he added, tapping his cheek.

"I don't know." the wizard replied in all honesty, sighing as he did so. How _did _he manage to live this long without a close food storage? Of course, inns and cafes were literally down the road from his home, but _still._

Toby looked around for a place to sit. The furnishings of Wizard's home were meager at best, so the teen ended up flopping onto his bed spread eagle. The mage's eye twitched with how…._at home _he was becoming.

"It's comfortable." Toby noted with surprise, as if he expected him to sleep on a stone slab.

Wizard nodded and sipped at his coffee. Neither spoke for awhile, allowing the language of liquid and flicker of flames to speak for them. It seemed that the silence between them would simply stretch forever until Toby rolled over, fixing Wizard with a glance.

"Let's go get a fridge."

Wizard barely had time to open his mouth before Toby grabbed him by the hand. He misjudged Wizard's considerably light weight, so instead of pulling him to his feet, he yanked them chest to chest.

"Woah, there," Toby laughed, still grinning. Wizard, however, wasn't quite as comfortable as Toby. He recoiled from the teen's touch vehemently, stepping back with surprising speed.

"Don't touch me." Wizard snapped, clutching at his own hands.

"I'm sorry," Toby said, stepping forward. "I didn't -"

"Just don't." He interrupted. He placed his hand on the doorknob, wrenching it open in what seemed like anger. Toby, sensing a bad mood, remained quiet, instead stepping forward and silently leading the way to the Garmon District.


End file.
